Well folks, after much discussion and late night Skype chats, Greg and Tony have decided that Bangkok Podcast has reached the end. As you’ve no doubt heard us talk about before, putting a podcast together takes a lot of time and effort, and time is something that both Greg and Tony have very little of these days, so it’s time to hang up the ol’ mics.
On this episode of Bangkok Podcast, Greg and Tony wrap up the latest news making the rounds in Thailand. From the crazy amount of rain that has been hitting Bangkok to the latest skin whitening craze and finally they talk about the attempt by airport link authorities to boost ridership.
We also chat with Ali Weiner, who is organizing an epic walk from Bangkok to Burma to raise awareness awareness of the dangers and realities of human trafficking and to meet their goal of raising $100,000 dollars for various charities.
On this show Greg and Tony welcome back past guest Paul Garrigan who joins us to talk about his new adventure as a muay thai fighter. While always harbouring the dream of stepping into the ring Paul was reluctant to start training as a fighter believing he was too old. However once he got into the ring and overcame a series of injuries, boxing became a form of meditation for him.
Tony and Greg covers the endless topic of cost of living in Bangkok. How much is a decent apartment? Is Thai internet fast? How much does it cost to get a cell phone in Bangkok? We reveal all in this episode of Bangkok Podcast.
Welcome back! Ten months after our last regular show, Tony and Greg are back on the air with an all new format but the same focus – Bangkok in all its wonderful, weird, awesome, odd glory.
On this special episode of Bangkok Podcast, Greg and Tony connect via Skype to talk about Greg’s recent wedding. From emergency changes due to the floods, unexpected costs and language issues Greg reveals the details and tips of getting married in Thailand.
Greg and Tony also discuss the latest topics in Thailand from what the Thai government is doing to assure Japanese investors that their factories won’t be flooded out again, to how it’s possible to lose and recover 13 million baht in gold in a taxi!
Tony & Greg return to the airwaves with a special encore show. Tony talks about his experiences living in Tokyo compared to Bangkok and what he misses about living in Thailand. We welcome back past guest Hamish Chalmers to talk about his amazing story about escaping the floods in the middle of the night with his family. We also talk to Michael Biedassek about his recent community initiative that raised over 2 million baht for the flood relief.
On this episode, Tony and Greg discuss the Bangkok Podcast Farewell Dinner, go over some of their favorite shows from the past, get into a few details on what it took to put a show together, and thank a few very important people who worked with us behind the scenes to make sure the podcast grew.
We also want to say a special thanks to each of our guests, who came on the show in their free time and gave people a glimpse into the cool personalities that help make Bangkok such a great city. Thanks again everyone – keep your Bangkok Podcast iTunes, Facebook and Twitter links active – we might be back sooner than you think.
On our last show we invited the venerable Pandit Bhikku back to the studio and we switched things up a bit and let Pandit interview us. Phra Pandit asks us if we believe in God and if we, in fact, believe what we believe, which is one of the key introspective aspects of Buddhism. Needless to say, it gets a bit deep as Tony, Greg and Pandit debate the meaning of belief and the freedom to choose if you even want to believe in anything.
We are very happy to be joined by Mr. Korn Chaitikavanij, Thailand’s ex-finance minister. Although his Democrat party lost Thailand’s most recent election, he is still an MP and is a high profile member of the Thai political landscape. Khun Korn talks to us about what it was like running in the election, which was one of the most fiercely contested in Thai history, and what his thoughts are now that his party is now the opposition.
In our continuing Thai language series, we are pleased to welcome film and television actor, translator, and all-around nice guy Peter Tuinstra. Peter’s path to learning Thai was a bit different than most students as he studied under the watchful eye of the U.S. Air Force at the elite Defense Language Institute; 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 1 year.
In our continuing Buddhism series, we are joined by a special guest, Bhikkuni Suvijjana, a female monk who is visiting Thailand from the US. Female monks are rare, but the tide is slowly turning, and Bhikkuni Suvijjana gives us an interesting look into how she sees Buddhism on a daily basis.
We get a lot of questions from expat parents and parents-to-be about what it’s like raising a family in Bangkok. Since Tony and Greg are little more than man-children themselves, we brought Jack Prinya, proud dad of triplets, on the show to talk about the challenges of raising a family in Bangkok.
We are joined by Stuart McDonald, President, Founder, and all around big boss at Travelfish, one of the most respected independent travel sites online. Stuart gives us a fascinating look into building a travel site from nothing, shares with us a few inside tips and talks about how technology is changing the travel experience.
Every Westerner knows that when you’re hurt back home, you call the emergency number and get taken to the hospital, but things in Bangkok work a little differently. Today we talk with Marko Cunningham from Bangkok Free Ambulance, a service that he has run for many years – at his own expense, no less – that provides free ambulance services for those who need it, Thais, tourists and expats alike.
Bangkok Podcast talks to Mod, who is a Thai language instructor. She who gives us some interesting insights into what problems we all have, how we sound to Thai ears, and how our native accents affect our speaking ability.
Bangkok Podcast talks to Marisa Cranfill, who is one of Thailand’s foremost experts on Thai spirit houses. She gives us the lowdown on what’s inside the little structures, why you’ll most commonly see red Fanta soda sitting on the mini ‘porch’, and what happens to all that food that people leave as offerings?
Our Buddhism series continues with Phra Pandit talking to us about how Buddhism views science. Is it as hostile as some other religions often see it, or is it more of a peaceful co-existence? Are there areas which conflict with The Buddha’s teachings, or does Buddhism take every new discovery in stride?
The image of a beautiful Thai women is one that is known throughout the world; however, only slightly less well known is the image of a beautiful Thai women who was born a man. Call them what you willl – transexual, transgender, ladyboy, katoey – their place in Thai culture goes back thousands of years, but despite the history, and despite Thailand being very accepting of them, it’s not always an easy life.
On this episode of Bangkok Podcast we talk to Brett Whiteside from the website Learn Thai From A White Guy. Brett is one of the few foreigners in Thailand who teach Thai and he talks to us about his road from wide-eyed tourist to competent speaker, translator, consultant and tutor is unique in that the only person he had help him was himself.
